Detachable antenna mounting bracket for automobiles

ABSTRACT

A mounting for a radio antenna which enables the antenna to be easily mounted on and demounted from the edge of the trunk lid of an automobile without marring the surface. The mount consists of a flat base member and a clamping member pivoted relative to the base in the plane thereof and having a lip spaced from the base. A clamping pad is mounted on the base for movement toward and away from the lip by means of a screw threaded in the base. The members are pivoted so that the lip is exposed and may be easily inserted into the space between the edge of the trunk lid and the body of the automobile without interference from the base. The base is then pivoted relative to the clamping member so as to be opposite the lip and the clamping pad is pushed against the outside of the trunk lid.

The present invention relates to the art of automobile radio antennasand more specifically to a device for detachably mounting a radioantenna to a thin edge of a part of an automobile such as a trunk lid.

In the art of mounting radio antennas on vehicles, it is often timesdesirable to be able to completely remove the antenna from such vehiclewithout leaving any trace of the existence of such antenna mounting sothat the existence of radio equipment on the inside will not be apparentto strangers. Heretofore, this has not been possible. Either the antennamount required holes to be drilled in the vehicle body or it wasimpossible to mount the antenna on the vehicle without first opening thetrunk and then fastening the bracket to the edge thereof. Alternativelypermanent magnets have been used. However, these have been known torelease unexpectedly due to wind pressures on the antenna.

It will be appreciated that normally there is a small crack between theedge of the trunk lid and the body of the car and the present inventionprovides a mount which may be easily clamped and unclamped to this lipwithout opening of the trunk.

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a mount foran antenna on the edge of the trunk lid of an automotive vehiclecomprised of an outer bracket member, an inner bracket member having anoffset lip normally in fixed parallel spaced opposed relationship to theouter member, and a clamping pad associated with the base of the antennasupported on the outer bracket member so as to be movable toward theouter surface of the trunk lid to draw the inner member lip against theinner surface of the trunk lid.

In the preferred embodiment, the inner and outer bracket members aremovable to a non-opposed relationship whereby the inner bracket memberlip, by appropriately manipulating the entire assembly, can be insertedthrough the crack between the edge of the lid and the body of theautomotive vehicle into position adjacent the inner surface of the trunklid.

In the preferred embodiment, the inner and outer bracket members arepivoted at one end about an axis through the plane of the bracketmembers whereby the inner bracket member may be rotated that the lip isin non-opposed parallel relationship with the outer bracket member. Theclamping pad may have a pressure pad of soft non-marring material on theend facing the outer surface of the lid such that when the antenna mountis rotated in a direction to move the pad toward the trunk lid, thesurface of the trunk lid will not be marred.

The inner bracket member lip preferably has means thereon for piercingany paint or other film on the inner surface of the lid whereby toaffect a grounding action for the radio antenna.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a new andimproved mount for radio antennas on the trunk lids of automotivevehicles which enables the antenna to be quickly mounted and/ordismounted and which does not mar the external surface of the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedmount for radio antennas which can be quickly mounted on and dismountedfrom the trunk lid of an automotive vehicle whereby rotating the base ofthe antenna, the mount may be clamped in position and will effect itsown grounding action.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a new and improvedmount for radio antennas on automotive vehicles which is attractive inappearance, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and simple andpositive in operation and installation.

The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangementsof parts preferred embodiments of which will be described in detail inthis specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings whichform a part hereof and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view partly in cross section of an antenna mountinstalled on an automobile and illustrating a preferred embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view partly in section of the mount showing indotted lines the installation position of the clamping member;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views of the mount of FIG. 1 showing the first twoinstallation steps on the lid of an automotive vehicle.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross section taken along line 5--5 of FIG. 1showing a preferred embodiment of the clamping pad.

Referring now to the drawings wherein the showings are for the purposesof illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention only and not forthe purpose of limiting same, FIG. 1 shows a base member A, a clampingmember B pivoted relative thereto and a clamping pad C associated withthe base member A and adapted to press against the outside of the trunklid of an automobile.

The automobile forms no part of the present invention and is shown forthe purposes of illustration only. It includes a body 2 having a trunkopening surrounded by a rabbet 3. A trunk lid 4 closes the opening andhas a relatively thin lip 5 defined by an edge 6 which is spaced fromthe body 2 by a gap 7 generally 1/8" to 1/4" wide. Foam weather strip 8in the rabbet 3 seals the opening. The base member A is generally in theshape of a flat rectangular plate having an opening at one end in whichthe base of an antenna 9 can be supported in insulated fashion, all asis conventional.

The clamping member B generally includes an inner leg or lip 21, avertical leg 22 and a second leg 23 which is generally parallel to leg21 but extends from leg 22 in the opposite direction. Leg 23 has anopening therethrough aligned with a corresponding opening in one end ofthe base A and pivot means in the form of a rivet 24 extends throughthese aligned openings. Thus, the base and clamping members A and B arepivotally supported relative to each other about an axis perpendicularto the plane of the base member A and the clamping member B can be movedfrom a position where its leg or lip 21 is in spaced, opposed, parallelrelationship with the base A to a position where it is in spacednon-opposed relationship to the base A. When in this latter position,the entire assembly may be tilted as is shown in FIG. 3 such that theleg or lip 21 can be inserted through the gap 7 and the entire assemblythen rotated as is shown in FIG. 4 to where the leg 21 is abuttingagainst the undersurface of the lip 5. At this point, the base member Acan be pivoted relative to the clamping member B to where it is inspaced, opposed, parallel relationship with the leg or lip 21 of theclamping member B.

Means are provided for drawing the leg 21 into pressure engagement withthe lower or inner surface of the lip 5. In the embodiment shown, suchmeans include the clamping pad C which is in the form of a rectangularblock of preferably nonmetallic material or of metallic material with asurface of nonmetallic soft material which is movable away from thelower surface of the base A towards the upper surface of the leg 21. Inthe embodiment shown, the block is provided with a pair of upwardlyextending ears 31, 32 which are slidable in corresponding notches 33, 34formed in the edges of the base plate A. A screw 35 is threadablysupported in the base plate A midway between these upwardly extendingears and projects into an opening in the clamping pad and is fixedthereto in any suitable way so that the screw can be rotated and exert apressure downwardly on the pad to press it against the outer surface ofthe lip 5. The screw is provided with a knurled knob 36 above the plateA so that the screw can be readily rotated by a simple manual operationto press the pad downwardly against the upper surface of the lip 5 whichof course draws the clamping leg or lip upwardly against the inner orlower surface of the lip 5.

In the preferred embodiment, the leg 21 angles away from the leg 22slightly upwardly and the upper end corners 25 of the leg 21 are bentupwardly slightly to provide a point which will pierce the paint of thelip 5 on the inner surface to provide a ground connection for theantenna mount.

To remove the mounting, it is simply necessary to rotate the screw untilthe clamping pad C is free of the outer surface of the lip 5 and then byappropriately rotating the base A relative to the clamping member B, theleg or lip 21 may then be withdrawn from the gap 7 of the vehicle andthe entire antenna mount thus removed from the vehicle.

It will be appreciated that the antenna employed is what is normallyknown as a vertical antenna working against a ground plane which, inthis instance, is the metal of the trunk lid. Obviously, if it isdesired, the entire body of the automobile can function as a part of theground plane by using grounding straps between the trunk lid and thebody of the automobile. The provision of such grounding means forms nopart of the present invention.

Normally, using the present invention, the coaxial cable used toenergize the antenna will extend on the outside of the vehicle through awindow to the transmitter and receiver on the inside. It is thuspossible to remove the antenna and any external appearance of thepresence of a transmitter receiver on the inside of the vehicle. It willbe appreciated, however, that it is possible to have the coaxial cableextend through the gap 7 such that when the antenna is removed, thetrunk may then be opened and the antenna stowed in the trunk completelyout of sight.

The invention has been described as with reference to a preferredembodiment and in such detail that it is believed that anyone skilled inthe art could readily make and use the invention. Obviously,modifications and alterations will occur to others upon a reading andunderstanding of this specification and it is my intention to includeall such modifications and alterations insofar as they come within thescope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:
 1. A device for detachablymounting an antenna on the trunk lid of an automobile comprised of: agenerally flat outer base member and an inner clamping member pivotedrelative to said base member about an axis perpendicular to the plane ofsaid base member, said clamping member having a clamping lip spaced fromthe plane of said base member and being movable from a first normalposition where said lip is in spaced, opposed, generally parallelrelationship to said base member to a second position wherein said lipis in spaced, non-opposed, relationship to said base member whereby saidlip can be inserted into the space between the trunk lid of anautomobile and the body thereof without interference from the basemember and means threadably supported on said base member for engagingthe outer surface of the trunk lid and drawing the lip against the innersurface of the trunk lid thereby clamping said device on said lid saidmeans include a nonmetallic pad having a pair of spaced upstanding legsslidably received by a pair of notches in the edges of said base memberand a shaft readily supported in said base member and engaging said pad.2. A device for detachably mounting an antenna on the trunk lid or otherlip of an automobile comprised of a generally flat base member and arigid clamping member having a first leg pivotally supported relative tosaid base member on an axis perpendicular to the plane of said basemember, a generally vertical downwardly extending leg and a third legextending from the lower end of the said vertical leg from the sideopposite said first leg and generally at a slight angle upwardly towardsthe lower surface of said base member, said clamping member beingpivoted from a first normal position wherein said third leg is inspaced, nonopposed relationship to the undersurface of said base memberwhereby said third leg can be inserted into the space between the trunklid of an automobile and the body thereof without interference from saidbase member to a second position where said third leg is in spaced,opposed, generally parallel relationship with the undersurface of saidbase member and means threadably supported on the base member forengaging the outer surface of the trunk lid and drawing the third legupwardly against the inner surface of the trunk lid whereby said devicecan be rigidly clamped in position on said trunk lid.
 3. The device ofclaim 2 wherein said means include a nonmetallic clamping pad and athreaded shaft readily supported in the base member and engaging saidpad.
 4. The device of claim 3 wherein said pad has a pair of upwardlyextending legs slidably engaged with the edges of said base member. 5.The combination of the device of claim 4 wherein the edges of said basemember have notches therein for slidably receiving said legs.